Elizabeth woke up late, not surprised to find both Mark and Ella gone. She glanced over at the clock, 10:21. She groaned slightly before getting out of bed and heading down the stairs.
"Good morning." Carol greeted Elizabeth from the living room floor where she sat with Tess, Kate, and Ella. "Mark went to the hospital with Doug this morning around six. He told me not to wake you."
Elizabeth laughed. "Apparently I needed the sleep." She conceded before sitting down and scooping Ella into her lap. "How was your morning?" She asked her daughter who responded by gumming down on her thumb.
"We had breakfast and went down by the lake for a bit." Carol reported for her. "We're planning on meeting the boys at the hospital after lunch. Speaking of are you hungry?"
Elizabeth shook her head, she knew that if she tried to eat anything she'd just be seeing it again within the hour. "I'm fine."
Carol sighed. "You know you can tell me stuff right?" She said, obviously frustrated.
Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow. "What?" She asked curiously.
"Are you telling me you're not pregnant?" Carol asked, surprised.
Elizabeth shook her head in confusion. "I'm sorry, how?"
"I'm a nurse Elizabeth." Carol replied, smiling widely. "Besides you keep turning down food and you seem exhausted."
Elizabeth laughed. "Yeah. Something about growing humans makes me incredibly tired. But Carol please don't tell Doug."
"Yeah of course." Carol affirmed quickly. "But why the secrecy?"
"Mark and I just wanted to tell you both together." Elizabeth lied quickly.
"Well my lips are sealed." Carol promised before hugging her tightly. "Ugh I'm just so excited for you both!"
Elizabeth just nodded, unable to come up with anything to say.
"You know Mark there are attending positions available here at Northwestern." Doug said as they walked quickly down the hallway.
"In pediatrics?" Mark asked with a laugh.
"Well there's always positions available in my department, but I did mean in the ER. I know how much you love it down there." Doug replied as they went into a room. "This is Kenny." Doug introduced Mark. "Kenny this is my friend Mark, he's a doctor in Illinois."
"Hey Mark." The young boy greeted him with a high-five.
"So Kenny here has been undergoing one of our new trial treatments." Doug informed Mark, handing him his chart. "He's one of our cystic fibrosis patients. How are you feeling today Kenny?"
"Okay." Kenny relented, not looking up from the Gameboy in his hands.
"If you say so buddy." Doug replied with a smirk. "Natalie will be in here in about twenty minutes to give you your nebulizer treatment." He informed the patient. "If you need anything have Rebecca page me, you hear?"
Kenny nodded. "Okay."
"Talk much Kenny?" Mark said with a smirk.
Kenny frowned. "You aren't my doctor, Doug is."
Doug laughed. "Said like one of my patients. Come on Mark let's leave the poor boy alone." He said, as they left the room, dropping the chart into the holder on the outside of the door.
"So why does your patient call you Doug?" Mark asked curiously as they headed to the next patient.
"The pediatric department here at Northwestern is renowned for our long-term care. That means we're with these kids for weeks at a time. For a lot of our patients they're as involved in their treatment choices as their parents are so we try to keep things on a level playing field." Doug explained. "Plus it's no fun for kids to be surrounded by people they think are superior to them, they're more cooperative when they feel like we're their friends."
Mark stopped, suddenly lightheaded. "Hey Doug…" He began quietly.
Doug turned around. "Yeah?" He asked not looking up from the chart in his hands before he heard a loud thud. He looked up and saw Mark on the ground convulsing. "Oh my God Mark!" Doug said quietly, kneeling down next to him, trying to stabilize his head. "I NEED A GURNEY DOWN HERE!" Doug called down the hallway before turning his attention back to his best friend. "Mark come on…" He whispered quietly. "Mark…"
One of his nurses came running down the hallway with a gurney. "Doug what happened?" Emily asked him quickly as she knelt down next to him.
Doug shook his head. "I don't know. He just started seizing." He replied, trying not to panic.
"Does he have any relevant medical history you know of?" She asked him gently, it was obvious he was about to snap.
Doug swore internally. "It's recurrence." He said angrily. "He had… has a brain tumor."
Emily nodded. "Alright let's let him ride out the seizure here and then we can take him down to neuro. We don't want to move him just in case." She said sliding a pillow underneath Mark's head.
Doug shook his head. "We have to stop the seizure." He tried to insist.
"Doug!" Emily replied tensely. "You know as well as I do that it's more likely to do harm to tumor patients to stop their seizures with medication."
The two sat quietly for several minutes, watching Mark convulse. "What's he doing for treatment?" Emily asked quietly.
Doug shook his head. "I don't even know if he knows." He admitted quietly. "We should take him to MRI."
Emily nodded. "I'm sorry Doug." She said sympathetically. "Is there someone we should call?"
Doug sighed. "As soon as we have him in radiology I'll call his wife."
An hour later Mark was unconscious in radiology. Doug was standing across from the curtain area on the phone. He had called the house several times with no answer. Eventually he called county to get Elizabeth's mobile number. Finally he heard the familiar accent on the other end of the line.
"Hello?" Elizabeth answered her phone.
"Elizabeth it's Doug." He replied tiredly. "I need you to come down to the hospital."
"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, suddenly sounding incredibly concerned. "What happened?" She insisted.
"Mark had a grand mal seizure. We're in radiology waiting for him to wake up. We'll do a MRI and then transfer him down to neurology for monitoring." Doug said tiredly.
Elizabeth shook her head. "I'll be there as soon as I can, but he's just going to want to go home."
Doug was shocked. "You didn't think that this was something I should know about?" He asked her angrily.
"Of course I thought you should know!" Elizabeth replied, just as angrily. "But it's not my decision who Mark decides to tell and when."
"You should have told me." Doug replied adamantly.
"I'll be there as soon as I can." Elizabeth replied before hanging up the phone.
"Who was that?" Carol asked as Elizabeth put her phone into her purse.
Elizabeth shook her head tiredly. "Doug. I need to go pick up Mark."
Carol looked at her suspiciously. "Is everything okay?"
"I'll tell you later." Elizabeth promised as she picked Ella up out of the cart. "What's the fastest way I can get to the hospital?"
Carol dug into her purse. "Take my bus pass. The blue line will take you there it's the third stop from here." She instructed. "Do you want me to take Ella?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "You have Tess and Kate, just finish the shopping. We'll meet you back at the house."
Carol smiled sympathetically. "Call me if you need anything." She said gently.
Elizabeth nodded before quickly heading to the bus.
"Mark!" Elizabeth sighed with relief when she saw her husband conscious and attached to an IV. "What happened?"
"Grand mal seizure." Mark replied, sounding incredibly frustrated. "They're making me stay to up my fluids before I can leave."
Elizabeth nodded, quickly pecking him on the cheek. "I was so worried Mark." She whispered quietly.
"Daddy!" Ella said excitedly when she saw her dad.
"Hey Ella." Mark said softly as he took Ella from Elizabeth. "How was your day?"
"Store!" Ella replied, maintaining her enthusiasm.
Elizabeth smiled tiredly as she pulled up a stool next to the bed. She watched her daughter interact with her father, oblivious to the tension in the room. They talked for nearly twenty minutes before Doug arrived, a neurology resident in tow.
"Hey Mark this is Steve Layton." Doug introduced him. "He has to do a neuro consult before we can release you."
Mark nodded. "Do what you gotta do." He said tiredly.
"Can I hold your daughter?" Steve asked awkwardly.
Elizabeth leaned forward immediately and picked up Ella. "I've got her."
"Daddy!" Ella began to protest immediately.
"You can stay right here." Steve assured her. "I just have to run some tests on your Daddy."
Ella nodded, frowning slightly as she snuggled into her mother.
"Alright Mark can you stick your hands out on top of mine?" Steve began the procedure, checking all of the neurological facets one by one.
Finally he finished. "Mark I'm not too pleased with your cerebral function on either side, but technically you passed." Steve said, signing the chart in front of him. "I want to see you when you come in for your treatment Monday. But you are free to go for today. Come in if you have any more issues."
"I can get a much bigger issue than the one I already have." Mark said swinging his legs off the bed. "Thanks." He said, putting his glasses back on and taking a now incredibly cranky Ella from Elizabeth.
Doug pointed to the wheelchair in the corner. "Mark." He reminded him.
Mark shook his head. "I'm not getting in it." He said simply.
"Mark it's hospital policy." Doug tried to press him.
"I am not getting in the chair Doug." Mark replied. "I'll see you at home." He said, taking Elizabeth's hand in his and walking to the elevator. Once they were alone Mark turned to her and kissed her gently. "I'm so so sorry." He whispered quietly.
Elizabeth shook her head. "You couldn't have known it was going to happen Mark." Elizabeth dismissed him.
Mark sighed. "I had a headache this morning, it felt off." He tried to explain.
"No Mark." Elizabeth stopped him. "You aren't going to take the blame for this."
Mark nodded. "So how are we getting home?"
"Taxi." Elizabeth replied without hesitation.
"We could just take the bus…" Mark tried to protest.
"Mark you just had a seizure. We're taking a taxi."
Carol wasn't back from shopping yet when Elizabeth and Mark arrived meaning the only one in the house was Rachel.
"Go lie down." Elizabeth instructed, taking Ella from him. Mark nodded before heading up the stairs. "Rachel?" She called into the house, not getting an answer. She made her way to the back yard and saw Rachel out on the dock. "Rachel!" She called out.
Rachel looked up, and sighed as she saw Elizabeth waving her back to the house. She picked up the towel that she had been sitting on a jogged up to the deck. "How was shopping?" She asked, trying to make conversation.
"Your father had a seizure so I went and picked him up at the hospital." Elizabeth said, leading Rachel into the house.
"Is he okay?" Rachel asked, immediately concerned for her Dad.
Elizabeth nodded. "His pride is a bit wounded but I think he'll manage." She explained. "I however am going to make sure he lies down for a bit. Can you make lunch for Ella and the twins?"
Rachel nodded. "Of course. Is there anything else I can do?"
"Keep an eye on her?" Elizabeth asked, handing Ella over to her.
Rachel looked perturbed but didn't protest. "Are you sure?"
"Do you have drugs here I should know about?" Elizabeth replied curtly. Rachel shook her head. "Then yes, I'm sure. Unless you don't think you can handle it?"
"I can handle her." Rachel affirmed quickly.
"Alright." Elizabeth replied, before rushing up the stairs, finding Mark pacing around the bedroom. "Mark." She said tiredly.
Mark looked over at her, his face showing his obvious guilt. "I can't just lie around Elizabeth."
She sighed, grabbing his hand and pulling him over to the bed. "You can and so can I." She said softly.
"You don't have to babysit me." Mark insisted, pulling away from her.
"Mark I'm exhausted. If not for you, please just lie here with me?" She asked quietly.
Mark looked over at her, immediately feeling guilty when he was the tears in her eyes. "Of course." He said quietly before lying down and taking her in his arms. "I'm sorry." He apologized after several minutes, surprised when she didn't respond he shifted to see her asleep, sighing he leaned back, praying sleep would somehow claim him.
"Hey Rachel." Carol greeted the teenager as she unloaded the twins from the car, one on each hip. "I assume your Dad and Elizabeth are back?" She said as she put the toddlers onto the floor.
Rachel nodded as she placed a bowl of fruit and a plate with a sandwich in front of her little sister. "They're upstairs. I made some for Tess and Kate." She said, pointing to the food on the counter. "If you want I can watch them for a bit."
Carol looked at her hesitantly. She didn't know how to respond. She finally decided that if Elizabeth left Ella in her care she must not be too concerned. "That would be great." She conceded. "I'm going to unload the groceries and then check up on your Dad."
"So you know?" Rachel asked, her voice breaking slightly.
Carol stopped and turned around. "Know what?" She asked, suddenly anxious.
"About my Dad…" Rachel replied, her eyes full of tears.
Carol looked at her curiously. "No Elizabeth just said she had to pick him up I assumed he and Doug had gotten into a disagreement over something…" She lied. She knew that something was wrong the moment Elizabeth had answered the phone.
"Oh." Rachel said awkwardly, wiping her eyes furiously. "Never mind."
Carol sighed. "I'm sorry." She said, obviously frustrated before heading out to unload the car.
Twenty minutes later Carol tentatively knocked on the door to the guest bedroom. She was surprised when the door opened quickly to reveal Mark with his finger to his lips. He quickly slipped out the door, closing it behind him.
"Hey." Carol greeted him awkwardly.
Mark laughed. "Hey." He replied back. "I assume Elizabeth told you."
Carol shook her head. "Mark what is going on?"
Mark sighed before going down the stairs. "Come on!" He called up the stairs when she didn't follow. He led her into the living room and sat down on the coffee table, motioning so she would sit across from him.
"Mark?" Carol questioned nervously.
"My tumor's back." Mark said simply, causing Carol to swear under her breath. "I had a seizure today because of it. Grand mal, I'm doing alright all things considered."
Carol sat in silence for several minutes before looking up at him, her eyes full of sympathy. "I can't believe this." She said softly.
"I can't either." Mark said with a small smile. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."
Carol shook her head. "It's fine Mark." She dismissed him quickly. "Is there anything I can…"
"No Carol." Mark replied. "I have my next round of chemo on Monday." He informed her gently.
Carol nodded. "I'm so sorry Mark." She said softly.
"Me too Carol, me too."